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December 12 2024

I am Ana Marta Silva and I am from Portugal. I decided to participate in the program ESC to grow and improve myself and my skills, and so I have spent the last nine months volunteering at the Association San Giovanni Apostolo Onlus, in Palermo, Italy. This association hosts children from five to eighteen years old
for after school activities. It is a place where they receive support and help with their schoolwork and where they can engage in other extracurricular activities.

When I arrived, I wasn't sure what to expect. Even though the project was explained to me and I did my research online, it's never the same as seeing a place in person or living it. I also think it was better for me to approach this project without expectations and take things as they come, instead of having an idea of ​​what I thought it would be and then being disappointed. What I knew was that I wanted to participate in the soccer teams, but unfortunately the time I arrived didn't allow me to do much, although I did have the opportunity to get more involved in my last weeks there. I believe that sports are a great way to teach values ​​and the importance of having them and putting them into practice in your life at all ages, but especially with young children, and this experience has reinforced that idea.

Since my project took place from March to September, I had the opportunity to be present for the work that the association carries out during the school year but also during the summer holidays.

I was very lucky to have my colleague and friend, Clemens, who helped me get through the first two months of this experience, because he made it easier for me to communicate with the children, since I didn't speak Italian, and also to bond with them, because they already knew Clemens and had a strong bond with him.

During the school year, the focus was on making sure the kids were on top of their homework and other school work. At first, I didn't feel very comfortable helping with subjects other than English or math, but as I learned the language and improved my communication skills, my confidence grew and I felt like I could really help them not only with their homework, but also with understanding the concepts they were learning.

Once the school work was finished, the children could do other activities. In my case I would be mostly with the children interested in playing soccer or other sports, but also drawing and doing other artistic activities to help develop their creativity.

In the summer, however, the association already had an established program, so my role was more of a support role. That said, I enjoyed interacting with the children and helping them with the activities that were proposed to them. During that time, I worked mostly with children between the ages of five and seven. We only worked half days, some days in the morning and others in the afternoon.

The first part of the morning/afternoon was occupied by artistic activities, such as coloring, painting, modeling and other activities, followed by rehearsals for the end of summer show.
Then after a break and we did some physical activities like obstacle course. Some days we did activities like gardening or studying plants, their life cycle or how to take care of them.             

During those months we also had the opportunity to go to a water park and participate in events organized by other associations outside our headquarters. For me these activities were very important not only because
I accompanied the children and helped them with whatever was necessary but also because I learned the history of the city of Palermo.

What struck me the most was the pride the people in the association have in their roots, their neighborhood, their city, their tradition. There is a clear effort to teach children about the history of their city and the origins of their traditions, rather than simply celebrating them. Learning about the history of the city of Palermo and the culture from people who are so clearly proud of their roots was one of my favorite things about this experience.

We celebrated Santa Rosalia, who is the patron saint of the city of Palermo, where we were told her story and how we should celebrate her and the city but not only that, in fact we also celebrated other anniversaries together, such as the preparation of "u cannistru" to celebrate the day of the dead, a tradition in which Sicilians prepare a basket with traditional sweets, candies and chestnuts, to "offer" to relatives who are no longer with us and transform the day of death into a celebration of their life. It is an activity that is usually done in the family, but that we spent together because that is how we feel in the association.

For this reason I have to thank the people of the Association San Giovanni Apostolo for welcoming me with open arms, making me feel like I was part of this family too, always inviting me to meals, gatherings or neighborhood events and having the patience to explain every tradition, food or celebration to me.

Now that I have finished my project, I can say that, although I am happy to be back home, I am also a little sad to leave this beautiful community. I have learned many things, especially how to resolve conflicts and how to speak Italian. But I have also learned to be more patient, compassionate and empathetic.

It's an experience I'll never forget and even though I didn't get to do much with football, I'm very satisfied with the experience. I'm happy with what I was able to do. I created a beautiful bond with the children and it's something I'll never forget. I just hope I made a positive impact on their lives by showing them kindness, patience and how to play football properly.

Ana Marta Silva